honada slr or fx 650 : ideas, opinions

**vincent danna** · #1 4 Jan 2006

hello,
very happy new year 2006 !

i actually ride a r80g/s pd, after having done a "small not achieved" world tour on
a r100gs for more than 2 years and 70 000 kms.

i m more and more looking at the honda slr or fx 650, for travelling and riding
daily in paris + some off road in the province.
http://www.moto-station.com/article66.html
http://motoplanete.com/honda/FX650.php
(sorry it s in french, it s just to give you an idea of the model, since there
could be some differences between france and england/other countries)

it seems nice, reliable, esay to fix, powerfull enough, air cooled, mono cylinder, only 161 kgs empty tanks so lighter than my g/s (i m
only 1m70, 60 kgs, not very tall and strong) + i don t consider myself as a good
driver :-)

i s less "gadget" than the transalp, less enduro than the xr650, so a good compromise i guess :-)

what s your opinion on this bike ? reliable, easy to fix ? are there any special preparation (i wrote to acerbis and overland prep, waiting for their answers, if you have any other good helpfull contacts) especially for :
- a bigger tank,
- a confy seat,
- racks for the luggage,
- engine protections
- etc ... all that could be perfectible and good for travelling.

i saw no info on this honda model : but maybe some xr650 parts that acerbis/overland prep, others make/sell, can adapt/adjust the honda slr or fx 650.

so before buying one, i d like to know if it s a good bike, if some preparations are available.

thanx for your kind answers
happy trails

**Simon Kennedy** · #2 4 Jan 2006

Hi Vincent,

The FX and SLR are the same bike, with a few tweaks. They are sold in UK, but rare.

It is basically a detuned stripped-down dominator (NX650), at a low price.

So, on the good side, the engine is solid as a rock. And in this de-tuned state, it should go on forever.

Down side: not much power for a 650. The tank is small. So, it doesn't really cut it as a touring bike for Europe.

Because of the budget low-grade suspension unit and large size, will not be the best for serious off-road. The wheel size is designed for road.

You should have a test ride. See if you like it. I have a friend with one, who hates it: syas it just doesn't work. But that doesn't mean you will feel the same.

But the price is good.

Simon

**vincent danna** · #3 7 Jan 2006

Simon Kennedy,
thanx for your very clear answer, which confirms what i read.
the advantages and drawbacks you mention are very clear.
the second hand price is quite cheap for the slr or fx 650 here in france : around 2000 euros.
but then, as i read, you need to find adaptable parts to prepare it for a big trip, which is not so common compared to a domi or transalp.
cheers

**martync** · #4 8 Jan 2006

how on earth can you detune a dominator? is this correct for the FX?
I tried a Dommie and went with the transalp, Dommie is a pain on the road. I'm happy with the alp, if I were to do some riding off road I'd change the suspension, upgrade from hagon? and take off the fairing and I reckon there wouldn't be much in it as long as you hvthe crash bars.